Study Abroad Tips
Are you Planning to Study Abroad?
Study abroad is one of the most exciting activities that you could include in your program of study here at Penn State. Having the opportunity to study in a different country with experiences at a different university will help you to develop the critical thinking skills necessary to contribute as a citizen of the world. For many of you, global competence will provide you with a competitive advantage as you apply to graduate schools, apply for employment or enter the global marketplace. You will be among a small group of students in the country (less than 5%) who have taken the initiative to have a study abroad experience. For all of you, study abroad will be a life changing experience, one from which you will be forever transformed as you look at the world and its citizens. If you wish to include a study abroad experience in your curriculum, you will have to begin the planning process early in your program of study. Your freshman year is not too early to being thinking about how to incorporate education abroad into your program of study. The following are some tips you might want to consider as you approach planning for a study abroad experience.
Tips
- Meet with your adviser as soon as you think you might want to study abroad to see if it’s a feasible in your curriculum. Some curricula (ie. nursing) don’t allow for a semester or year long study abroad experiences in their 4 year plan of study. Students can always opt to extend their program of study by a semester but this should be planned for with your advisor.
- Consider using the summer if your program of study precludes your from studying abroad during the academic year. There are exciting summer programs including internships, service learning experiences and volunteer activities that can enhance your educational experience without putting you out of sequence for graduation.
- Identify with your adviser the best semester in which to study abroad (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior or Senior year, fall, spring or summer semester or entire year). This could be a semester in which you have several general education courses to complete or a semester in which you will register for several electives. By planning early, you can design your program of study so that you have a semester with several general educations or electives.
- Visit the Education Abroad Resource Room in Boucke 412 to explore options for study abroad. In addition to numerous brochures, there are students there from 10:00-4:00 each day who have studied abroad who can answer any question you might have about the study abroad process. They will also share insights about their international experience on a student to student basis.
- Penn State offers about 190 different programs of study in over 40 countries on six continents. Plan to spend some time in the Education Abroad Resource Room (Bouke 412) identifying a university and country that would be a good fit and an exciting experience for you. Some things to consider are curricular offerings, language, culture, living arrangements and of course, cost.
- Visit the education abroad Web site at www.international.psu.edu.
- Attend the “Study Abroad 101” program offered the first Wednesday of each month at 4:30pm in Boucke 410. This session will provide you with the necessary basic information related to all study abroad experiences.
- Pay attention to the deadlines that are posted on the education abroad website. They are not flexible and some requirements take a fairly long time to complete. Address the requirements early.
- Do some research on the countries in which you may want to study. Read about the country and the university. Talk to students who have studied there. Talk to faculty who have contacts in that country. Make an informed decision about this experience.
- Visit with an education abroad adviser in Boucke 410. They can provide you with a wealth of knowledge regarding the various options and programs that are available. They can also help you with the application process and the costs of studying abroad.
These are just some tips that will help you begin the process of planning a study abroad experience. You have many resources to assist you along the process. Please take advantage of them and know that you will be embarking on an exciting journey.
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